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The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

aoifski

I'd appreciate some advice about lawns and lawn mowers. We have about 1/4 -1/3 an acre of lawn. Top soil was put down when we moved in about 4 years ago, not the best stuff - quite stoney. We raked but did not rotovate it at the time, and then rolled and then sowed a lawn.

It's ok - the surface is a bit rough still and not flat. We have a petrol rotary at the moment and it takes quite a while to cut all this grass. And it grows like wildfire in the spring/summer.

We want to buy new rideon mower and I am all for buying a tractor mower to spin around the lawn in as little time as possible.

My husband has gotten it in his head somehow that he wants this manicured lawn, and wants to buy a petrol powered cylinder mower - the ones used for cricket and golf greens! Believe me our lawn and surface is far from this!

Questions:

To get even surface with manicured lawn would we have to rotovate and completely redo the surface/soil and resow?
Presumably a cylinder mower (self propelled) is totally unsuitable for what we have right now?
Any tractor mower recommendations for a nice cut which will appease my husband?!

Thanks in advance!

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cena

Attachment not found.

Any got one of these. Borrowed the neighbours ride on and the battery has gone flat

deezell

fryup wrote: »

deezell wrote: »

2016 since I done that, trying to find record of purchase, I gave all my parts diagrams away when I sold the mower in 2017, but... I've tracked it down. This was the type used in the older tc102, 1998 onwards, but there are others.

€21. If it's the same as yours you're sorted.

i mean how much to get it repaired in a repair shop ?

If it's just that part and they have it to hand, an hour's work? Plus the part cost at say €30. I'm guessing €60+. I do all my repairs, family stuff also, no one ever pays me, so I've no idea what a business charges.

deezell

cena wrote: »

Attachment not found.

Any got one of these. Borrowed the neighbours ride on and the battery has gone flat

It's just a small 12v battery. Charge it up if you have a car charger. That mower's in s***e, isn't it?

cena

deezell wrote: »

It's just a small 12v battery. Charge it up if you have a car charger. That mower's in s***e, isn't it?

Not got a charger. It's a in bad shape.

Have the mucolloch painted up, filled it up with oil and petrol and gave it a spin out. Have to say, very happy with it. Easy start Honda is very easy start. Rear wheel drive is much better than front wheel that was on husqsi. It's lighter and easier to maneuver. Decent grass collector. Hopefully will get a good few years out of it.

listermint

listermint wrote: »

Have a husky power push with a Briggs and Stratton 650 Exi on it.

One of those long life 'no oil' change jobs .

She started running low rpm today after couple of minutes cutting. Use the mower maybe ever 6 weeks or more as have a robot mower for most of garden.

Changed the oil out completely. Emptied the fuel in case it was gone off and replaced with brand new. Checked the spark ok. Took off the air filter etc . No change in Rpm.

She starts up grand but is running about half or less rpms. Not enough to cut a blade.

Any ideas what to check next. She's about two and a bit year old hasn't had a hard existence.

So I cleaned out the pin in the bowl. Tiny bit of dirt in it nothing major. Fitted all back together. Same low engine idle.

She's reving up high if I adjust the black swing arm attached to the rod arrowed green in pic below. But she won't maintain the revs just drops back down.

I presume this is all controlled by rod . I've no rpm or choke on the control arms as it's a new mower. The rod in purple goes to thermostat at exhaust.

I'm not sure what does what. Is there any way to adjust these at all.

my3cents

So if you go to the end of the rod with the green arrow does is go to a lever attached to a rod coming out of the side of the engine?

If it does thats an internal governor and while I've never had one come loose in hundreds of engines I've used it is supposed to be possible. I'll have a look later and find the instructions for adjusting the linkage. There is a clamp at the bottom of the lever that clamps it to the rod that comes out of the engine and thats where you adjust it.

listermint

my3cents wrote: »

So if you go to the end of the rod with the green arrow does is go to a lever attached to a rod coming out of the side of the engine?

If it does thats an internal governor and while I've never had one come loose in hundreds of engines I've used it is supposed to be possible. I'll have a look later and find the instructions for adjusting the linkage. There is a clamp at the bottom of the lever that clamps it to the rod that comes out of the engine and thats where you adjust it.

The rod goes to the rear and is attached to a lever coming out of the engine.

The rod and the plastic attachment at the front are all free moving. No spring or anything attached to them so I presume the governor inside isn't meant to be as free moving . As in it should return to some resting position. I don't have a resting position

my3cents

http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/shop/html/governor_adjustment.html bottom of page but check youtube I'm sure I've watched a strip down video on how to adjust that linkage after rebuilding an engine.

listermint

my3cents wrote: »

http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/shop/html/governor_adjustment.html bottom of page but check youtube I'm sure I've watched a strip down video on how to adjust that linkage after rebuilding an engine.

Governor spring is missing it's a long one from governor rod to carb housing. That's why I've all the free play. Simple but now I've to get a spring

my3cents

Find the part number https://www.briggsandstratton.com/eu/en_gb/support/faqs/browse/find-part-number.html then check Amazon, ebay or you local dealer.

madmaggie

Hi all, I bought a World walk behind lawnmower with a Briggs and Stratton 575i engine. It has a push button battery start, which I thought would be perfect for me as I don't have the muscle power to start a pull cord machine. My problem is that instead of being "Instant" start, it can take about 5 minutes or more to start, and when I stop to empty the grass bag, it often does not start again. Could it be a starter problem, or a dodgy battery? I make sure the battery is fully charged. From the sound of the engine it sounds like it's not getting enough power to start up. Very annoying, especially on a nice fine day! Thanks for any tip/ hints.

my3cents

Simplest thing you could do to start with is try replacing the spark plug with a new one.

madmaggie

Thanks, my3cents, I tried that. I know nothing about lawnmowers, either it starts or it doesn't! A replacement battery is in the region of 70 euro, so I was wondering if there was anything I could try before lashing out that sort of money. It's a great little mower when it goes, my garden is on a slope, and it flies along. Pity it's not dependable.

my3cents

madmaggie wrote: »

Thanks, my3cents, I tried that. I know nothing about lawnmowers, either it starts or it doesn't! A replacement battery is in the region of 70 euro, so I was wondering if there was anything I could try before lashing out that sort of money. It's a great little mower when it goes, my garden is on a slope, and it flies along. Pity it's not dependable.

Is it starting OK from cold? If it is and the problem is the hot start after you have stopped to empty the bag I really doubt the problem is the battery.

I never bother stopping the mower when I empty the bag. I have a bit of string around the safety handle

listermint

5 minute walk up and down be garden

And this appears.....

. Flimsy thing all the same.

my3cents

listermint wrote: »

5 minute walk up and down be garden

And this appears..... . Flimsy thing all the same.

Well at least thats 100% conformation of what you need, it might even work still if it doesn't work as is then see if you can shorten it and turn the first part of the spring into the hook and cut the current hook off.

madmaggie

@my3cents, it can take 5 minutes or more to start up from cold, I get fed up with it. Usually restarts when I stop to empty the bag, but by no means is this a certainty. It's the inability of the battery to start up the mower is the real problem. Thanks for the tip with the string, must remember that!

my3cents

madmaggie wrote: »

@my3cents, it can take 5 minutes or more to start up from cold, I get fed up with it. Usually restarts when I stop to empty the bag, but by no means is this a certainty. It's the inability of the battery to start up the mower is the real problem. Thanks for the tip with the string, must remember that!

Hard to say what is the problem. Was it always this way? I used to cut grass with a team of lads and we used to get an issue where a mower would be fine one minute then after hitting something solid would be next to impossible to start. The reason was a coupling pin on the flywheel that is meant to shear off if you hit anything. Easy fix to replace it depending on your mechanical skill level but really only relevant if you have hit something really solid like a house brick when cutting.

The other issue with some briggs engines is the carburetor. I think its possible that you have the carb thats plastic and built into the petrol tank? Thats what I would replace before doing anything else but that needs a bit of DIY experience. If your carb looks like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carburettor-Stratton-Classic-Engines-498809A/dp/B07QB1TSQF/ then there is a chance replacing it may help.

listermint

So replaced the spring. Started and ran perfectly cut some grass to test it all good.

Went back inside changed and came back out to give the grass a run over.

She's now surging. Bare in mind I cleaned out the carb the other day . Fuel is new.

Video below.

https://youtu.be/JT_NzdJwMcA

Any ideas what to check?

my3cents

Bit of a loss there? I'd still consider checking that needle on the end of the float valve, sometimes you get one that needs regular attention. I'd also check the parts diagram a lot of small Briggs engines have two springs and I can only see one. Another thing I have done myself when I've had that sort of issue is to run at least one tank full of Aspen fuel through it. I actually avoid one local garage as I get problems with a Honda engine when I use it (low power and hunting) but if I change garage the problem goes away.

listermint

Ya the other spring is not visible it's under the fuel tank connecting to the rear spring arm for the governor. The visible spring is connected to the air intake lever.

my3cents

@madmaggie spotted this when trying to check if listermint's carburetor should have one or two springs.

Edit> Doh forgot link

madmaggie

Thanks my3cents.

my3cents

And one for listermint, from about 4min 30 seconds.

I forgot to mention cleaning the holes in the carb plug.

high society

Hi guys, just a question for you. We've moved to a house with a big garden, nearly an acre, having had a tiny garden in Dublin. Problem is, we're at a loss as to what sort of mower to get. It's a beautiful garden, designed in smaller garden areas, small orchard, wooded area, flower beds, even a pond, and trees dotted around most of the rest. Looking at Stiga, having seen some of the posts here, metal deck, and wondered if Agrieuro, either UK or Italian ones mentioned in this thread, are still the best value. Appreciate any advice. Thank you.

listermint

my3cents wrote: »

And one for listermint, from about 4min 30 seconds.

I forgot to mention cleaning the holes in the carb plug.

ya mine seem to be a plastic thing with a ball bearing on it too. Doesnt appear to be anyway to remove it sans damage.

so just tried blowing through it.

Gave it a run out and cut the grass yesterday idle still has that problem but shes running. It may clean itself out il just give it some hard work see if it shifts.

my3cents

listermint wrote: »

ya mine seem to be a plastic thing with a ball bearing on it too. Doesnt appear to be anyway to remove it sans damage.

so just tried blowing through it.

Gave it a run out and cut the grass yesterday idle still has that problem but shes running. It may clean itself out il just give it some hard work see if it shifts.

Then try sticking at least a liter of Aspen fuel through it.

deezell

high society wrote: »

Hi guys, just a question for you. We've moved to a house with a big garden, nearly an acre, having had a tiny garden in Dublin. Problem is, we're at a loss as to what sort of mower to get. It's a beautiful garden, designed in smaller garden areas, small orchard, wooded area, flower beds, even a pond, and trees dotted around most of the rest. Looking at Stiga, having seen some of the posts here, metal deck, and wondered if Agrieuro, either UK or Italian ones mentioned in this thread, are still the best value. Appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Have a look at your site on Google maps, try and estimate how much of the acre is grass. If it's near half or more, you will need a big size mower, 53 cm blade at least. If the grass area is dotted with curves, trees, beds etc, this will further slow up mowing. Variable speed is useful for negotiating obstacle courses slowly, then open up on the straight. A small ride on may not suit if the grass area is fractured and fussy. I'd advise hiring a wide power driven walk behind a few times to see out the season, and see how long it takes and if it's a pita. You'll soon figure out if you need a ride on, or maybe an extra wide walk behind like the Toro Timemaster, 76cm cut, close in size to small ride ons but a lot less expensive, about twice the price of a 53cm walk behind.

high society

Thanks Deezell, much appreciate reply. Have a petrol mower, but tbh, it takes at least three hours to get it all cut, once a week, which is fine, but that's only cutting the grass. I need something that will take the heavy work out of this job at least. Coming into the autumn, there will be the leaf fall again, and with quite a number of trees, I was hoping to get a mulcher attachment with a ride on, to cut down on the amount of cuttings I have to compost. The grass in the most open area, still has six ornamental trees, hedging around it, and a biggish flower bed. The other main grass area, has about ten trees, and hedging around the house and roadside area. Absolutely beautiful garden, but if I can make one task easier, I'll take it!!